PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

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chrish
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PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by chrish »

Sorry for dropping the ball and not updating the Photo Essay, been having too much fun with the Birding Forum contests. :oops:

So we will start a new one today and run through the end of the month. The next one on our list was

Specialized Adaptations - photos showcasing some of the neat morphological traits that our subjects have evolved over the eras, while adding a quick note to explain them

Have fun, and follow the few rules we have!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

This is actually a really appropriate topic, as I just took this photo a few minutes ago.

We're all aware of the adaptations of rattlesnakes. I won't go into the details, but it's an adaptation that the sound will make one's hair stand on end even if you've never seen a rattlesnake before. It's the call sign of the favorite genus of many herpers:

Image
Rattlesnake Rattle - Summer 2012 by Kyle L.E., on Flickr

Edit:
Thank you, Chris! Sorry I had to bug you over PM for this ;)
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Owen »

Sharp-tailed Snakes (Contia)

C. longicaudae
Image

C. tenuis
Image

While it may be up to some debate, it's hypothesized that the tail tip helps in securing prey items (slugs and such) or possibly to just anchor itself while feeding.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Matt Buckingham »

Caudal lure in a juvenile Southern Copperhead. The bright coloration at the tip of the tail may aid in attracting prey items within striking distance. This color will fade with age.

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Southern Copperhead by Matt Buckingham, on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by herpseeker1978 »

Image
Caudal lure and a rattle :beer:

Josh
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Antonsrkn »

been having too much fun with the Birding Forum contests.
Understandable, Those threads are definitely fun to look through and see what turns up, my only problem with those is that I ran out of bird photos pretty quickly :oops:

Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta)- from the Dominican republic
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Adaptation: Bony skull and horns
The horns/bony skull is primarily used to combat other males for territory and females. It has also been suggested it offers them some protection from potential predators.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by rip18 »

How about the hardened "spade" on the rear foot of an Eastern Spadefoot Toad that allows it to burrow amazingly quickly into the ground...

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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

Nice one with the spadefoot!

The Eastern Hognose specializes in its upturned snout that allows it to rapidly and efficiently turn up toads buried under the soil. Additionally, it allows this species to excavate its own burrows:

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Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hognose) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by krismunk »

Prolonged scales - "fringes" - at the edges of the toes of a fringe fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus sp., in this case A. boskianus) providing traction when running across loose sand:

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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by chrish »

herpseeker1978 wrote:Image
Caudal lure and a rattle :beer:

Josh
And it is using money to lure in unsuspecting humans! Genius! :lol:
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by chrish »

I have no idea what Triprion petasatus use their bony heads for, but they sure are specialized!

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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Antonsrkn »

5 lined skink
Adaptation: Blue tail
Image
The tail can serve to distract predators and will fall off if grabbed giving the lizard some time to escape.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

I wish I'd had the equipment and the drive to take good photos back when I was in Venezuela, but this will have to do.

Oreophyrnella quelchii possesses a variable yellow venter that is thought to aid in deterring possible predators. Their moldy black dorsal colors mimic the mold that covers the entire top of Mount Roraima. Additionally, in the even a predator does approach one of these toads, it can curl up into a ball and act as a pebble, bouncing down the rocks away from its adversary, thus giving it the common name "Pebble toad"

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Oreophyrnella quelchii by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
Image
Oreophrynella quelchii by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by krismunk »

Convergent evolution.

Aposematic bright orange mottling on the belly of the firebellied toad, Bombina bombina warns of its toxicity. This particular individual has been turned on its back while displaying the Unken reflex, arching its back and pulling uo its legs to display the underside.

Sorry for the crappy pic :oops:

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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Antonsrkn »

Not the best photo to showcase the adaptation but its the best I have so it will have to do.

Smokey Jungle frog
Adaptation: nipples on a frog
Image

Maybe someone could explain this strange morphological adaptation to me, take a look at the frogs belly/chest region. You can see something resembling nipples, as we all know nipples are a mammalian trait so they are not present in amphibians. These protrubrences were hard and pointy, after catching the frog I was shocked when the frog used its front feet to give me a sort of bear hug and ram me with its spiky nipple things, it caught me completely of guard the first time but we were able to get the frog to exhibit the same behavior several more times and it definitely gave me the impression that the frog was trying to use them defensively.

Any one have any additional info about this? I have been curious for a while and haven't come across any info about it.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

Eastern narrowmouth toad- Gastrophryne carolinensis
Flap of skin on the head that can fold foward to remove insects on their eyes.
(also, i beleive these were specially created, not "evolved")
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by bgorum »

Image
Gorum_120726_3603 by bgorum, on Flickr
Zebra-tailed Lizard. Free ranging on the grounds of the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum/

Zebra-tailed and Greater Earless Lizards have both evolved these black and white bands on the underside of the tail which they wag to draw the attention of predators. I’ve heard it is so that the predators will grab the tail, which is expendable and can be regenerated. I’m not so sure about that though. They usually do this right before they run and as soon as they put the tail down they seem to disappear. I think the banded tails confuse predators which focus on the contrast and the movement, and then when its gone all of a sudden they really don’t see the lizard. At least thats how it works on me! I posted a picture of a Greater Earless Lizard engaged in the same behavior in the “Herps in Motion” photo essay a couple months back.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Stohlgren »

Sweet pebble toads, Kyle. The BBC segment on those was pretty cool. Would love to visit the tepuis some day.
bgorum wrote:I think the banded tails confuse predators which focus on the contrast and the movement, and then when its gone all of a sudden they really don’t see the lizard. At least thats how it works on me!
This is actually the hypothesis I had always heard about zebra-tails. They like to run a little bit further after they drop their tail so that you can't find them right where you lost sight of them. I had not heard of it used as a distraction the way the blue tails of skinks does. Though that could be an additional benefit.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Stohlgren »

The raised rostrum of the hognosed viper serves to help break up their outline in the leaf litter. Photographed in situ.

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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by RobertH »

Pacific Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus amabilis)

Image

This photograph was taken by my son Nicholas, 10, in Santa Cruz County earlier this year.

The snake exposes its curled bright red tail to deter predators (including obsessive photographers), perhaps by signaling that it is toxic or venomous (which it is, of course, but only very mildly).

Robert
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

Crocodilians:
Dermal sensory receptors for sensing pressure changes and detecting prey in the water.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by bgorum »

Image
Gorum_120618_2504 by bgorum, on Flickr
How about the big, beautiful, bug eyes of trans-pecos ratsnakes. No doubt an adaptation to drinking in what little light there is in the Chihuahuan desert night. I love how looking into there eyes seems like looking into some far off galaxy!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

The cirri (Fu-man-chu projections) on this dwarf salamander aid in chemoreception:

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Eurycea quadridigita (Dwarf Salamander) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Antonsrkn »

Spectacled Caiman from Panama
Image
The nictating membranes of the caiman caught the light in an unexpected way and are apparent in this shot.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by WW** »

A winning combination of morphological and behavioural specialisations:

Image

Modified fangs and highly specialised behaviour allowing a Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) to expel its venom at a predator.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by bgorum »

Sweet shot WW!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

Woa, that is an awesome picture!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

Excellent timing, WW**


The spadefoot toad has already been shown, but I thought I'd give a closer look to the spade that gives the toad its name:

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Scaphiopus hurteri (Hurter's Spadefoot) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by frodaman »

Image
Sonoran Coralsnake Micruroides euryxanthus

Not only do these guys' color confuse predators when they are moving, along with the lampropeltis family, but my favorite thing about these guys is their Cloacal "pop" (I just call it their fart :lol: ) that they do as a defense display when they are threatened.

-Jeff
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by AsydaBass »

Antonsrkn wrote:Not the best photo to showcase the adaptation but its the best I have so it will have to do.

Smokey Jungle frog
Adaptation: nipples on a frog
Image

Maybe someone could explain this strange morphological adaptation to me, take a look at the frogs belly/chest region. You can see something resembling nipples, as we all know nipples are a mammalian trait so they are not present in amphibians. These protrubrences were hard and pointy, after catching the frog I was shocked when the frog used its front feet to give me a sort of bear hug and ram me with its spiky nipple things, it caught me completely of guard the first time but we were able to get the frog to exhibit the same behavior several more times and it definitely gave me the impression that the frog was trying to use them defensively.

Any one have any additional info about this? I have been curious for a while and haven't come across any info about it.
Hey there, the "nipples" are nuptial spines that are used in amplexus. Like nuptial pads, they aid in securing the female frog.

-Don
www.RainforestDon.com
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

Image
pitvipers get their name from the 2 pits(one on each side) between eye and nose. These pits help the snake sence prey and preditor body heat.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

Soopaman wrote:This is actually a really appropriate topic, as I just took this photo a few minutes ago.

We're all aware of the adaptations of rattlesnakes. I won't go into the details, but it's an adaptation that the sound will make one's hair stand on end even if you've never seen a rattlesnake before. It's the call sign of the favorite genus of many herpers:

Image
Rattlesnake Rattle - Summer 2012 by Kyle L.E., on Flickr

Edit:
Thank you, Chris! Sorry I had to bug you over PM for this ;)
Which rattler genus are you thinking of Kyle??
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by bgorum »

Image
Gorum_120604_2136 by bgorum, on Flickr
This is a two for one adaptation shot. First is the faded out color of this bleached earless lizard, an obvious adaptation to the white gypsum sand it lives on. The second are the bright colors that this gravid female displays. These kind of bright colors are common in gravid females for a number of species, (collared and leopard lizards, sagebrush and sanddune lizards, just to name a few). Similar bright colors occur in juveniles of some species, (eastern collared lizards come to mind). It seems strange that a gravid female would display these bright colors, which would make her more visible to predators with color vision, right at a time when she is least able to escape, (because she is heavy with eggs). The hypothesis that I have heard for this is that while there may be a selective disadvantage to females to be brightly colored at this time of year it is outweighed by the selective disadvantage she would have if she were constantly being harassed by amorous males. The bright colors are thought to advertise to males that a female is already gravid, and he should therefore not waste time trying to mate with her. That would also tend to explain why similar colors appear in juveniles of some species.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Stohlgren »

This photo not only shows the cirri which aid in picking up chemical ques from the environment and tracking down a female, but if you look closely you can see the premaxillary teeth with are used in courtship to scrape the skin of the female and deliver pheromones from the mental gland.

Uspelerpes brucei
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by PNWHerper »

Not a photo, not mine, but man :shock: Dunno if I have seen a snake more specialized than this guy:

Image Image courtesy of google and copyrighted to said person.

Here is that tail in action...



Couldn't help myself and had to share this one...

The photos on here are excellent guys, keep them comin'!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

PNWHerper wrote:Not a photo, not mine, but man :shock: Dunno if I have seen a snake more specialized than this guy:

Image Image courtesy of google and copyrighted to said person.

Here is that tail in action...



Couldn't help myself and had to share this one...

The photos on here are excellent guys, keep them comin'!
Does the species have the ability to shed tail or something?? :?
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by bgorum »

Image
Gorum_110806_4629 by bgorum, on Flickr
I cant believe nobody has taken this one yet, so I will. The spines of horned lizards not only deter some predators from eating them, but also help break up the outline of the lizard’s body. The flattened shape helps with that also.
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

bgorum wrote:Image
Gorum_110806_4629 by bgorum, on Flickr
I cant believe nobody has taken this one yet, so I will. The spines of horned lizards not only deter some predators from eating them, but also help break up the outline of the lizard’s body. The flattened shape helps with that also.
I would of, but so far I only found one horned lizard, but didn't have my camera, and don't know what happened to the cell pic.
but where's the eyebleeding adaption some species have?? :crazyeyes:
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

The belly scales of rat snakes are specialized in allowing them superior climbing abilities, and they can hold positions such as this while waiting for prey:

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Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri (Texas Rat Snake) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by PNWHerper »

Does the species have the ability to shed tail or something?? :?
Nope. The tail is an imitation of an invertebrate. The snake's name implies an arachnid, but I think its a dead ringer for imitating a centipede. Its a specialized kind of caudal lure.

Here is the article that talks about it:

http://snakebuddies.wordpress.com/2010/ ... -its-name/
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

:shock: Incredible!!!!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by bgorum »

Image
Skin toxin of New Mexico Spadefoot. This stuff really makes my eyes burn! It smells like peanuts and makes some people sneeze as well. I certainly wouldn’t want to eat one!
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

bgorum wrote:Image
Skin toxin of New Mexico Spadefoot. This stuff really makes my eyes burn! It smells like peanuts and makes some people sneeze as well. I certainly wouldn’t want to eat one!
Now I lost my appatite for boiled peanuts. :lol:
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Soopaman »

Dery, it's a crotalus rattle.
bgorum wrote: Skin toxin of New Mexico Spadefoot. This stuff really makes my eyes burn! It smells like peanuts and makes some people sneeze as well. I certainly wouldn’t want to eat one!
It's actually a really pleasant smell. I'd hypothesize it's to help get predators to smell or taste it, thus inducing some of the awful sneezing effects. I was handling my first spadefoots last week and was unaware of this toxin. After having an itch near or in my nostril, I scratched it and ended up spreading the spadefoot toxins on the inside of my nose, and giving myself a really awful sneezing fit.


On topic, the box turtle's are known for their hinged shells which allow them to close up tight like a "box." I typically avoid photographing them when they do this, so here's a photo of one being friendly:

Image
Terrapene carolina triunguis (Three-toed Box Turtle) by Kyle L.E., on Flickr
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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by Josh Holbrook »

Tantilla relicta pamlica. This small Crowned Snake has the adaptation of a specialized food source (centipedes), being small and of no monetary value, which helps it to avoid a potential predator (professional collectors) in its homerange.

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Re: PHOTO ESSAY - December 13-31 - Specialized Adaptations

Post by dery »

[quote="Soopaman"]toxins on the inside of my nose, and giving myself a really awful sneezing fit.


On topic, the box turtle's are known for their hinged shells which allow them to close up tight like a "box." I typically avoid photographing them when they do this, so here's a photo of one being friendly:

Talking of toxins, threetoes also have adapted serious poisons from their mushroom diet. I think eating them may be deadly.
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